One of items I hope to touch on is the fact that with the proliferation of apps and social media, it is growing increasingly difficult for employers to catch up. (Which is a shame, because those apps can prove invaluable during tragedies, like the Boston Marathon explosions). Employers that are just catching on to Facebook, for example, are well behind the curve.

Here’s the workplace angle though; just like Facebook, people are using Vine to take videos of their workplace. Some even tag their videos with the hashtag “#work”. (Don’t know what a hashtag is? Here’s your remedial homework.)

No big deal? Well, what if you’re employees took videos of your confidential business plans and put them on Vine? Oh wait, someone already did.

What if an employee posted a self-portrait video driving heavy machinery at the airport? Um, someone did that too.

What can be done? We’ll discuss some strategies at Thursday’s presentation. But understanding what is out there is the first thing employers can do to understand the scope of the issue. All employees need is a smartphone and an app, and the damage is done. (My unscientific survey shows that restaurants and retail establishments are particularly vulnerable to such posts on Vine.)

As an employer, you’ll need a lot more than a firewall now to stop your information from getting distributed or prevent your company’s reputation from being trashed quickly by your own employees. You need a strategy and an approach.

Because common sense doesn’t seem to grow on trees, or rather, vines, anymore.

DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.

All the intelligence you need, in one easy email:

* With LinkedIn, you don't need to create a separate login to manage your free JD Supra account, and we can make suggestions based on your needs and interests. We will not post anything on LinkedIn in your name.